Clothes bag container



June 17, 1969 G. B. SIMMONS 3,450,251

CLOTHES BAG CONTAINER Filed Feb. 26, 1968 Sheet L of 2 4 15 5a Z2 27 4a20 =2 35. INVENTOR 2 ZZ GE'AALD B. SIMMONS I I w ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,450,251 CLOTHES BAG CONTAINER Gerald 1!. Simmons, Deerfield,Ill., assignor to Hoerner- Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn., acorporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 708,029 Int. Cl.B65d 85/18 U.S. Cl. 206-7 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE T hepresent invention resides in the provision of a telescope containerdesigned to enclose a garment bag in folded condition so that thegarment bag may be inserted in the storage hold of an airplane duringflight. The base portion of the container includes a pair of parallelrollers which are detachably engaged to the end walls of the container.The upper portion of the garment bag is inserted along the bottom of thecontainer base, and one roller is inserted near one side wall so thatthe bag may be folded around the roller end toward the opposite side.The second roller is then inserted over the bag, and the bag isreversely folded over this roller to contain the bag in folded conditionwhen the top section is applied.

This invention relates to an improvement in clothes bag containers anddeals particularly with a container designed to hold a plastic bag ofclothes on airplanes and the like.

In traveling [from one place to another, many persons have adopted thepractice of placing a suit, coat or other wearing apparel in a plasticbag and carrying the bag onto the plane. Certain governmental agencieshave objected to this practice on the ground that the wearing apparelshould be stored in the cargo area of the plane with suitcases and otherluggage rather than in the passenger compartment. As a result, when apassenger carries a bag of clothing to the ticket counter, one air linerequires that the bag be stored in the cargo area of the plane duringthe flight. In order to protect the clothing during the flight, the airline provides telescoping containers into which the bag may be placedduring flight in order to comply with the travel requirements and inorder to prevent the clothing from being injured or soiled while inroute.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a simpletelescoping container which includes an apertured tab through which thehook of the garment bag maybe inserted, and including a pair ofremovable paper tubes about which the bag may be folded to hold thegarment bag in place within the container.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of :acontainer of the type described having a length which will accommodatethe width of a clothes bag, and a width in the opposite direction whichis considerably shorter than the length of the clothes bag. The ends ofthe container are provided with apertures designed to accommodate a pairof rollers which may comprise merely a pair of spirally wound papertubes. The upper portions of the bag may be placed on the bottom panelof the container with the hook of the garment bag extending through atab on one wall of the container. A first tube or roller is engaged inthe apertures most remote from the wall bearing the tab to extendtransversely across the bag. The bag is then folded over this rollertoward the opposite side wall of the container, and the second roller isinserted to extend parallel to the first and to overlie the garment bag.The bag is then again folded in a reverse direction over the secondroller and the cover of the container is telescoped onto the 'base3,450,251 Patented June 17, 1969 portion. The clothes bag is then readyfor storage in the hold of the plane with other baggage.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of acontainer for a clothes bag which is of substantially less size than theclothes bag and which includes rollers about which the bag may belfolded in order to prevent the creasing of the clothes within the bagduring shipment.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of acontainer of the type described which may be normally stored in a fiatform, but which may be readily set up for use. The rollers or tubes areof proper length so that they will remain in place while the containeris in use, the tubes or rollers being disengageable by flexing an end ofthe container outwardly a distance sufficient to disengage the tube.When the bag is .in place in the container, and the two parts of thecontainer are telescoped together, the 'apertu-red walls are preventedby the end walls of the cover from flexing to the extent necessary todisengage the ends of the rollers while the container is in use.

These and other object-s and novel features of the present inventionwill be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specificationand claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the closed container.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the container inreadiness to receive a clothes bag.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the rollers in placetherein.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view through the container, the positionof the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the container, theposition of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the coverportion of the container is formed.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the lowerportion of the container is formed.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the container inpartially set up lform.

FIGURE 9 :is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing a modified arrangementof rollers.

As will be evident, the specific form of construction of the container,and particularly of the cover portion of the container, may be varied.The particular construction illustrated has been employed because of thefact that the end walls of the cover are stiff and rigid and act to holdthe end walls of the lower portion of the container from bowingoutwardly when the two parts are telescoped together. The structure isalso high in "stacking strength.

The blank A from which the cover is formed includes a bottom panel '10which is foldably connected along parallel fol-d lines 1 1 to side walls12. The ends of the bottom panel 10 are connected along right angularlyextending fold lines 13 to outer end wall panels 14 and 15. The ends ofthe outer end wall panels 14 and 15 are connected along double lines of=fold 16 and 17 to inner end wall panels 19 and 20. Corner llaps 21 arerfoldably connected to one end of each side wall 12 along fold lines 18which are substantially extensions of one fold line 13. Corner flaps 22are foldably connected to the other ends of the side walls 12 along foldlines 18 which are substantially continuations of the other fold line13.

The inner end walls 19 and 20 are provided with a pair of projectingtongues or cars 23 and 24 respectively. The bottom panel 10 is providedwith slots 25 and 26 designed to accommodate the tongues 23 and 24respectively. In setting up the cover A, the side walls 12 are 3 foldedupwardly into right angular relation to the panel 10, and the cornerflaps 21 and 22 are folded inwardly along the fold lines 18 into opposedaligned relation overlying the fold lines 13. The end wall panels 14 and1 are folded upwardly and outwardly of the corner flaps 21 and 22, andthe inner end walls panels 19 and 20 are folded over the corner flapsand downwardly so that the tongues 23, 24 engage in the slots 25 and 26respectively.

The blank B from which the lower portion of the container is formedincludes the rectangular bottom panel 30 hingedly connected alongparallel fold lines 31 to side walls 32. The side walls 32 are connectedalong double fold lines 33 to inner side wall panels 34 and 35. The endsof the bottom panel 30 are connected along fold lines 36 to outer endwalls 37. The outer end walls 37 are connected along double fold lines39 to inner end walls 40.

Corner flaps 41 are foldably connected to the ends of the side walls 32along fold lines 38 which are substantially extensions of the fold lines36. In setting up the blank B, the side walls 32 are hinged upwardlyinto right angular relation to the bottom panel 30, and the corner flaps41 are folded inwardly along the fold lines 38 into substantially endabutting relation as indicated in FIG- URE 8 of the drawings. The endwalls 37 are folded upwardly into right angular relation to the bottompanel 30, and the inner end walls are folded inwardly and downwardly toenclose the corner flaps 41. The inner end walls 40 are provided withprojecting tongues 42 which are engaged in slots 43 at opposite ends ofthe bottom panel 30. The inner side walls 34 and 35 are provided withprojecting tongues 44 and 45 respectively which are engageable in slots46 and 47 at the opposite sides of the bottom panel 30. In thearrangement illustrated, the inner side wall 34 is provided with twotongues 44 while the inner side wall 35 is provided with three suchtongues 45.

A tab 49 is defined by a U-shaped eut line or perforated line 50, theends of which terminate at a fold line 51 parallel to the ends of theside wall 34. The tab 49 is apertured as indicated at 52. The tab 49 isdesigned to fold into right angular relation to the side wall panel 34to receive the hook 53 of a garment bag C illustrated in FIGURE 4 of thedrawings. The inner end walls 40 of the container portion B are providedwith a pair of spaced apertures 54 near opposite sides thereof, theapertures being spaced a generally equal distance from the sides of thewall panels 40. The corner flaps 41 are provided with apertures 55 whichregister with the apertures 54 when the blank B has been set up. In thespecific arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 8 of the drawings,the apertures 54 and 55 are positioned an equal distance from the bottompanel 30. As indicated in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, the apretures 54, 55may be arranged so that one tubular roller 56 may be spaced from thebottom panel 30 a distance greater than the other tubular roller 57.

The tubular rollers 56 and 57 are engaged in the apertures 54, 55 byinserting one end of each roller in one pair of aligned apertures, andbowing the end walls outwardly slightly until the opposite roller endengages in the apertures at the opposite end of the container portion B.This may be readily accomplished when the cover is removed. However,once the cover section A is in place, the rollers are securely held inposition as the end walls are prevented from flexing outwardly.

The bag C is preferably inserted into the lower portion B of thecontainer while the tubes are removed. The hook 53 is engaged in the tab49. The bag is preferably draped over the side of the container oppositethat to which the bag is hooked. The tube 57 is then inserted over thebag. The bag C is then folded about the roller 57 to overlie the side ofthe container to which the bag is hooked. The roller 56 is then insertedover the bag and the lower end of the bag is folded about the roller 56to overlie the intermediate portion of the bag, as is indicated indotted outline in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The cover portion A of thecontainer is applied and the container may then be placed in the hold ofthe airplane.

In order to permit the container to be tagged in a manner similar toother baggage, a pair of apertures or potential apertures 60 and 61 areprovided on opposite sides of the fold line 13 connecting the bottompanel 10 to the outer end wall 14 of the top section A. The ends of thecorner flaps 21 are notched as indicated at 62 inwardly of the aperture60, and the inner end wall 19 is similarly notched as indicated at 63 sothat the string of a tag may be inserted through one aperture and outthe other without interference with the inner structure.

As indicated in FIGURE 9 of the drawings, the tubular roller 56 may beplaced at a greater distance from the bottom panel 30 than the otherroller 57 so that the bag C may fold more uniformly within thecontainer. As the structure is otherwise identical to that described,the same identifying numerals have been used.

I claim:

1. A container for containing a flexible clothes bag comprising:

an open topped tray having a bottom panel, side and end walls extendingupwardly from the edges of said bottom panel and corner flaps connectingthe corners of said side and end walls,

means detachably supporting a pair of rollers in parallel relationbetween the end walls of said tray,

said rollers being spaced from the bottom panel and from the side wallpanels a distance sufficient to accommodate the bag to extendtherebetween,

end wall liner panels hinged to the upper edges of said end walls andfolded inwardly thereof, said end wall panels including apertures intowhich said rollers extend,

said corner flaps extending between said end walls and said end wallliner panels and including apertures aligned with the previouslydescribed apertures and into which said rollers extend.

2. A container for containing a flexible clothes bag comprising:

an open topped tray having a bottom panel, side and end walls extendingupwardly from the edges of said bottom panel and corner flaps connectingthe corners of said side and end walls,

means detachably supporting a pair of rollers in parallel relationbetween the end walls of said tray, said rollers being spaced from thebottom panel and from the side wall panels a distance sufiicient toaccommodate the bag to extend therebetween,

said clothes bag being provided at one end with a supporting hook, and

an apertured flap on one of said side walls through which said hook mayextend.

3. A container for containing a flexible clothes bag comprising:

an open topped tray having a rectangular bottom panel and two pairs ofopposed walls extending upwardly from the edges of said bottom panel,

corner flaps hinged to the ends of one pair of opposed walls and foldedinwardly of the walls of the other said pair,

liner panels hinged to the upper edges of said walls of said other pairand folded down inwardly of said corner flaps,

said liner panels each having at least one aperture therethrough, theapertures in the liner panels being in opposed relation,

said corner flaps lying outwardly of said apertures having aperturesaligned with said previously described apertures, and

a roller having its ends engaged in said apertures and 3,450,251 :5 6extending substantially parallel to said one pair of FOREIGN PATENTSside walls 0 said roller being spaced from said bottom panel and 9:E232: side Wall panels a distance sufficient to accommodate 1 11/1958France the bag therebetween.

a 5 References Cited JOSEPH R. LECLA-IR, Primary Exam mer. UNITED STATESPATENTS J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Exammer. 1,192,168 7/1916 Cook. US. Cl.X.R.

1,866,150 7/1932 Books. 10 19 41

